HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL: Wink sends TLCA to early postseason exit

Eagles done in by Wildcats' press defense

BIG SPRING — The TLCA boys basketball team’s first appearance in the UIL playoffs was a short one.

Despite taking control of the game early on, the Eagles were unable to fend off a second-quarter surge by Wink that not only changed the complexion of the game but sealed a 51-44 victory for the Wildcats in a Class 1A Division I bi-district playoff game Tuesday in the Dorothy Garrett Coliseum.

“I knew there were going to be some nerves, since it was our first time in the playoffs,” TLCA head coach Tim Howard said. “But the playoffs are unforgiving. You only get one shot, and if you can’t recover, it’s going to be a long night.”

The Eagles (20-8 overall) got off to what seemed like a strong start by charging out to a 10-3 lead, which was capped off by a jumper by Haze Wood with 3:35 left in the first quarter.

But that advantage was short lived.

The Wildcats (13-14) bounced back with a 5-0 run behind four points from Cory Funderburg that closed the deficit to 10-8 by the end of the first quarter. Wink’s offensive dominance continued into the second quarter and never let up.

“We started pressing them a little bit, and they started to turn the ball over and the game started to go our way,” said Funderburg, who scored a game-high 14 points. “We played well on defense and came out with the win.”

Wildcats head coach Jesse Jones instituted a 2-2-1 full-court press, which not only befuddled the TLCA players but also allowed them to force turnovers and score in transition.

“We had never seen it before,” said TLCA senior Khalid Valencia, who finished with eight points. “We knew they ran it, but we didn’t capitalize by making the right passes. It was definitely a mental game after that.”

The Eagles players attempted lob and cross-court passes to try to bypass the constant pressure from the Wildcats’ defenders.

“In the second quarter, we got away from everything that got us here,” Howard said. “We didn’t take care of the ball and let them get back into the game. If you give any team an ounce of breathing room or belief that they can stay with you, they will turn it up.”

After eight minutes, TLCA was outscored 11-5 by Wink and found itself trailing 19-15 at halftime.

“We had way too many turnovers in the second quarter,” TLCA junior Trey Mayberry said. “We talked about the things we were doing wrong at halftime and fixed them for the second half. I also felt we got used to their 2-2-1 press late in the second half.”

That adjustment was too late for the Eagles, who found themselves trailing by six points (48-42) with less than a minute and a half to play in the fourth quarter.

Mayberry and teammate Stefan Miller were able to free themselves and attempt three-point shots to cut the deficit in half, but watched those rim out en route to their loss.

“Losing was bittersweet, but it’s a learning experience,” said Mayberry, who ended with six points and 10 rebounds. “We’ve been here once and feel like we have a lot to prove for next season.”

Wink is slated to play Farwell later this week in the area round of the playoffs. A time, date and site have yet to be determined.